What to expect on a Sunday

Not been to church for a while? Never visited St Peter's before?
Unsure what to expect when you do?

We want you to feel as comfortable as possible, so we thought we'd walk you through what you'll experience on an average Sunday morning at St Peter's.

Is there a dress code?
There is no dress code. People turn up in anything from a suit to t-shirt, shorts and flip-flops. No one minds, as long as you are comfortable.
The clergy don't generally wear robes, but the vicar tends to wear a dog collar, so you can spot who he is.

What happens when I arrive?
When you arrive, a friendly person with a name badge will say hello to you. They are one of our Welcome Team, and they are an excellent person to ask if you have any initial questions. They will point you through the doors to the church hall itself.
As you go through, someone else will give you a Service Sheet. Keep this - it will tell you what order things will happen in during the service.

Where should I sit?
You can sit anywhere. Genuinely. No-one has 'special seats'. If you use a hearing aid, the hearing loop works better nearer the front of the church.

How will I know what to say when?
The service leader will welcome people, and lead us through the different parts of the service. He / she will tell people when to stand up or sit down.

All the words that we say together will either be on the service sheet, or on the big screen at the front. The service leader will tell you what to say when; but if you prefer just to listen, that is absolutely fine. There are lots of people, so no one will even notice.

Song words all appear on the big screen. We make a good sound, but it's perfectly OK not to sing along, you won't be the only one.

What about my children?
Children normally leave all together after about 20 minutes, to go to their various groups. If you are visiting, it is really helpful if you can go out with them just to register them with the group leaders, who will make themselves obvious. If your children are nervous, please feel free to stay with them. Alternatively, they are very welcome to stay with you in the service.

Will I be expected to give money?
No collection is taken, no plate is handed around, and no-one will ask you for any money. The good news about Jesus is free.
If you really want to give something, there are a couple of collection boxes at the side as you enter the church.

What happens during Communion?
If it is a Communion service, the service leader will explain what to do. There are three options - you can either receive bread and wine, or you can just be prayed for, or you can stay in your seat.

How you do each one will be clearly explained at the time, and whichever option you pick, there will be others doing the same thing.

If you have children with you, it is up to you as parents to decide whether you want them to receive bread and wine or not. The person giving the bread may quietly ask you what you would like to do.
If you want alcohol-free wine and / or gluten-free bread, just ask the person giving out the bread when you get there.

When can I leave?
Whenever you want! After the service, we encourage people to stick around for tea, coffee, and refreshments if they can. It's great to have a chance to chat and get to know people, but if you have to rush off that's fine.

If at any stage you aren't sure what to do, you can always ask someone sitting near you.
There are visitors at most of our services, so you won't be the only new person there.

If you want some more information on what we will be looking at each Sunday, please download our Sunday Programme Card.
If you've noticed the flags flying above our church and want to know what they are all about, click here.